The present disclosure relates to a surgical instrument with a manual control device for actuation by hand, wherein the control device can be displaced between a closed position and an opened position. The displacement takes place by a manual action being imparted to the control device by the hand of a user, in that the latter opens and closes the hand.
There are many tools and instruments that a user actuates manually with his or her hand. Some of these instruments require special ergonomics for the actuation, for example because the actuation of the instrument must be possible with a fine touch, because frequently repeated actuation of the instrument is required or because certain actuating positions of the instrument have to be constantly maintained over a relatively long time.
These instruments also include surgical instruments, in particular minimally invasive surgical instruments. These have at least one grip at the proximal end, which allows a user, in particular a surgeon or an assistant, to hold and actuate the instrument. Such instruments have to be ergonomically suitable for gripping and ergonomically suitable for actuating, and must also be so for hands of any size. Finally, it must also be possible for the user to be able to exert a sufficient force on the control device repeatedly in a convenient way and in various positions of the control device.
Many of the grips for such instruments are substantially pistol-like. This form of grip can be gripped well in a wide range of angles, also allowing work to be carried out well in different positions and with unfavorable holding angles. These grips often have finger loops, with which work can be carried out with a sufficiently fine touch.
In this connection, reference may be made merely by way of example to the control devices that are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,624 B1, US 2007/0005002 A1 and US 2008/0154246 A1. Reference should also be made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,121, where a particularly ergonomic control device is shown.
In spite of the large number of manual control devices, there is also still a need for control devices that make convenient and intuitive operation possible for the user even over a relatively long period of time.